The Date
by Thnx4theGum
Summary: Someone is going on a date. But who? And with whom? And where? Tune in to watch it all unfold. Rated T for the date.
1. Him

The man regarded his reflection in the mirror.

_Not bad_, he though, allowing himself a foolish grin, _Not bad at all_.

He triple-checked to make sure that his shirt was buttoned correctly and that his fly was closed, then ran a hand through his hair until it looked just right. Everything had to be perfect because tonight was THE night.

A date.

His flesh tingled at the mere thought of it. A date with the most beautiful woman he'd ever known. Guys like him didn't get women like her normally, but after years of waiting patiently, he had and tonight would be their night.

Banishing the tiny voice in his head that reminded him that dating someone he worked beside day in and day out was a bad idea, he consulted his watch. Fifteen minutes remained until he had to leave.

_What will it be like?_ He wondered, pacing the floor.

Would they hold hands? Kiss? Make love?

For all of the thousands of times he had imagined what it would be like to take her out, he still felt like a nervous kid before the prom.

Would she even like what he had planned?

It was kind of a corny thing but given all that he'd been silently gathering about her over the years, he was fairly confident that she'd love it. The only thing he was sure of- the one thing that frightened him above all else- was that nothing would be the same after tonight.

If it was a flop, they would still have to work together come Monday morning and things could get awkward fast. If it was a hit, though, they'd have to figure out what the next step would be and how to tell the rest of the team. Sink or soar, they were putting their entire relationship so far on the line.

_It'll be worth it_, he told himself as he headed out, _Everything will be worth it._

And with that he took off into the night.

* * *

**Who is the man?**

**Who is his date?**

**What will they do?**

**Keep tuning in(and reviewing/speculating) to find out!**

**Gum :)  
**


	2. Her

In the same city, in a full-length mirror, at the back of a walk-in closet the man's date eyed her outfit critically- _Costume_, she thought wryly, bringing back old memories- and wondered if she was making a monumentally large mistake.

This was the fifth outfit she had donned so far and she still was not satisfied with her appearance. Normally, what a date thought of her was of little or no consequence; but this date was far from normal and the consequences could be far-reaching.

She asked herself for the thousandth time why she had agreed to the date in the first place and for the thousandth time was forced to admit that she could not have said no to his pleading gaze; nor deep down had she wanted to. Of course, the stubborn man had insisted that what the date would entail would be a surprise; leaving her in front of this mirror wondering if what she was wearing was the right thing.

_This is stupid_, she chided herself, deciding that what she had on would have to suffice and moving on to her jewelry box.

It was not, after all, as if she had never dated men before. She had- several dozens, in fact- some poorer, some more handsome, and some more homely than the man she was going out with tonight.

_But none of them were your friends_, the small voice in her head told her, _And he is_.

That single fact, she knew, was what separated this date from all of her previous ones and what made the date at the same time as comforting as it was frightening. Comforting, in that she knew that he already understood and accepted her at least on a friendship-based level and he most likely would not reject her out of hand. Frightening, because he knew her and she wasn't sure she liked a man having that kind of power over her; nor was she altogether certain that their friendship could handle the pressure and while it had taken a bit for her to warm to him, she liked what they had built.

Determining once and for all in the mirror that she could do no more, she moved into the living room to wait for him. As she sank into the couch, she reflected on all of the microscopic events that had led to this moment. A moment here, a light touch there, and all of the looks that had passed between them, speaking volumes more than their words ever could.

A knock sounded at the door, setting whatever events were to occur that night into motion. Was this the beginning? The end? Some combination of the two? She didn't know and wasn't sure that she would want to if she could. Change was something she was used to, but not something that she enjoyed.

For a fraction of a second her hand froze on the doorknob, then just as quickly she tightened her grip and opened it, accepting as she did that they were now past the point of no return.


	3. Them

When the door opened, a smile lit up his face like a Christmas tree. He was dressed casually and held a picnic basket, which he dangled in front of her.

"Ready to go?"

She nodded and followed him outside. Instead of heading toward the parking lot, however, he turned the opposite way and began walking along the sidewalk. Idle conversation filled the gap as they walked; the case was getting to everyone and it felt good to blow off steam.

Finally, they stopped at one of the neighborhood parks. He produced a blanket from the large basket and courteously offered to lower her down. With a demure smile, she accepted and they sat and unpacked the food.

"Peanut butter and jelly?" her laugh tinkled in the night air.

"There are fluffernutters too," he shrugged, a tinge of color reaching his cheeks.

"Mmm," she snatched the fluffernutter from his hand and took a bite, closing her eyes, "My favorite."

Next, he produced two small plastic juice kegs that contained more artificial flavor than juice. Ripping off the foil tops he handed one to her and lifted it up in a toast.

"To childhood," he grinned.

She smiled back and they drank, both of their faces cringing simultaneously as the liquid went down.

"Why in the world did we ever drink this stuff?" she laughed, setting the remainder of the saccharine drink aside.

"Wonder we didn't all die of sugar shock," he replied easily.

They munched the sandwiches in companionable silence, each recalling a fond childhood memory the flavors evoked. There were Oreo cookies for dessert, complete with a half-gallon of milk that had been stashed in the basket's insulated compartment.

Taking her hand as the last of the cookies were eaten, he led her down a small path to the playground.

"Swings," she breathed.

He nodded and led her over. They were the old wooden kind that she remembered from childhood and a wave of nostalgia washed over her as he helped her on and began pushing her from behind.

It was the perfect date. He was funny, she was enchanting, and they ended with a kiss. She couldn't remember the last time she had enjoyed a date so much and he was sure that this was a sign of wonderful moments to come.

But when the moment had passed and she was once again alone in her apartment, Angela Montenegro knew that _when_ this went sour- as romantic relationships always do- they would lose everything and she couldn't have that. Tomorrow, she determined, she would lie through her teeth and say that they could just be friends; nothing more. That was the safe route, no matter how hard it would hurt in the short term.

****

Just across town, another woman- who had also been preparing for a date with her co-worker- considered the scene in front of her and also chose to walk away. No matter how far back her history with Booth went, he had never looked at her the way he was looking at Brennan right now and Cam could never settle for second fiddle. A momentary wave of sadness, jealousy, anger, and regret washed over her, but she shook it off, allowing a slight smile to grace her lips as she watched Booth lean closer and closer to his partner, oozing that incredible charm that she'd never been able to refuse.

"I'm with Bones," he had told her not long ago. And he was, so she melted into the shadows, wondering if the two people she left behind would figure out what they had together before it was too late.

**THE END.**


End file.
